| New International Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. | 1Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. |
| 2This is what the ancients were commended for. | 2For by it our ancestors won God's approval. |
| 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. | 3By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. |
| 4By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. | 4By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith. |
| 5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: "He could not be found, because God had taken him away." For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. | 5By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death. He was not to be found because God took him away. For before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God. |
| 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. | 6Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. |
| 7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. | 7By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. |
| 8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. | 8By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going. |
| 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. | 9By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents as did Isaac and Jacob, coheirs of the same promise. |
| 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. | 10For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. |
| 11And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. | 11By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the one who had promised was faithful. |
| 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. | 12Therefore, from one man--in fact, from one as good as dead--came offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and as innumerable as the grains of sand along the seashore. |
| 13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. | 13These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. |
| 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. | 14Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. |
| 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. | 15If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. |
| 16Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. | 16But they now desire a better place--a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. |
| 17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, | 17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son, |
| 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." | 18the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring will be called through Isaac. |
| 19Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. | 19He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead; therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking. |
| 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. | 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. |
| 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. | 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. |
| 22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. | 22By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones. |
| 23By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. | 23By faith Moses, after he was born, was hidden by his parents for three months, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they didn't fear the king's edict. |
| 24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. | 24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter |
| 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. | 25and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin. |
| 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. | 26For he considered reproach for the sake of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking ahead to the reward. |
| 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. | 27By faith he left Egypt behind, not being afraid of the king's anger, for Moses persevered as one who sees him who is invisible. |
| 28By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. | 28By faith he instituted the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch the Israelites. |
| 29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. | 29By faith they crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned. |
| 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. | 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being marched around by the Israelites for seven days. |
| 31By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. | 31By faith Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies in peace and didn't perish with those who disobeyed. |
| 32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, | 32And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, |
| 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, | 33who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, |
| 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. | 34quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. |
| 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. | 35Women received their dead, raised to life again. Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. |
| 36Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. | 36Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. |
| 37They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- | 37They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. |
| 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. | 38The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. |
| 39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, | 39All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, |
| 40since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. | 40since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
|
